Why carry out this study?

Incorrect injection technique is a widespread phenomenon that can lead to skin lipohypertrophy (LH) in insulin-treated subjects with diabetes mellitus (DM).

LH lesions cause significant clinical problems that increase healthcare costs, including those due to glucose variability, hypoglycemic events, and excess insulin utilization.

The aim of the study was to assess the ability of a 6-month intensive, structured patient education program to prevent poor injection habits and related complications and costs in a large group of outpatients with type 2 DM.

What was learned from the study?

Intensive education led to consistently improved metabolic results, a lower insulin requirement, and—for the first time—decreased overall healthcare costs in the target population.

Such positive effects should encourage institutions to resolve the apparently intractable problem of LH by providing healthcare teams with economic incentives to carry out intensive, specialized patient education on correct injection technique.